Reasons Being
by B Benson 4015 Forever
Summary: Amelia moves to Manhattan with her mom. It just doesn't feel like home, 'til she sees a building that IS home. She doesn't know why she's draw to the place, but she has to find out. (Rated M just in case)
1. Chapter 1

She was normal. That was until her whole life changed.

It's funny how one thing can set your whole life of track. How if one little thing had happened differently, things right now wouldn't be the same.

Amelia was 16. Her and her mother Dianna had just moved to New York. She didn't want to move. Everything she knew was there, her friends, cousins, school and her dad, they were all in Washington. "I don't see why we had to move. Nothing was wrong with the house back home." She told her mother as she helpped move boxes into thier new place. A three bedroom brownstone in Manhattan. ther was a store down the street, and so many neighbors. It was much different then her old house in Washington. There, there was no one for at least a good three New York blocks. "That place isn't home. This is our home, now." Dianna replied. Amelia knew if she retorted with a snide comment it would only lead to an argument. That's the last thing she needed right then. If she could've she would have moved in with her dad, he already said she could if she evr wanted to. He said that she didn't even have to ask, that it was her home too. But her mom was granted coustity after the divorce. She took some boxes that were labled **AMELIA'S ROOM** and brought them into the room that was so unframiliar to her. What would be her room until she went to college, she assumed. She looked around. There was a window with a fire escape. The walls were white, dull white. Amelia felt as if she were moiving into a prison cell. But instead of a cell mate it would be her mom. She knew nothing there would be like home, but she would try her best to make it like home, the most she could any way. She put the boxes down and went over the the window. Looking out she saw the busy streets of her new city. Cars stuck in trafic, people hussling to get to their different destinations. Everything was different. She had to adjust to a new life, in a new city, and make new friends. She felt like she was living in a nightmare. She walked into what would soon be the living room, and grabbed another box. Dianna asked if she wanted to go out to eat, or order in. Since she wasn't in the mood to meet new people or 'explore' her new surroundings, she said that they could order in.

Amelia was unpacking random boxes in the white room. Dianna came in, "Hey, the food is here. I was kind of thinking we could talk about you starting your new school while eating in the living room. What do you think?" She tried to reason with her daughter. "You don't want to know what I'm thinking." Amelia said, more to herseelf than to her mother. "Yes, sweety, I do." her mom insisted. "Fine." the younger girl put the books she was unpacking, down. "I don't want to talk about my new school, because I don't want to go to a new school... I could have lived with dad, but you insisted on bringing me here, to hell, with you. I don't want to be here. I want to be home. And did you even think about how this move would effect me? No you didn't. If you did, I'd be unpacking at dad's house. Not here. That's what I'm thinking. Is that what you wanted to hear?" She was so mad. Mad at her mom for moving her, mad at herself for not being able to control her anger, and mad about the stupid white walls. She needed to get out of there. "I'm going out, don't wait up." with that Amelia brushed passed her mother and left the brownstone that was her jail, until she could get out of there.

'Maybe I could just run away?' She thought. No. She couldn't worry her father like that. Imancipation maybe? She didn't quit know but she couldnt stay with her mom anymore. She couldn't be the only grown one in the barely-there mother daughter connection they had. Dianna just ran when things got hard. She needed to grow up. Amelia had to grow up too fast. She had to deal with her parents divorce at age 9. Then the custody battle at the same time, but that lasted until she was 11. With her parents' constant fighting, she had to raise herself. The fighting got so bad, at one point it had become physical. Her mother had thrown a vase at his head when he had gone to see her. It was such a surprise that her dad didn't get her.

As she wandered through the streets of her new world. Different lay-out, different buildings. It didn't feel like home. Until she walked in front of this tall building. The 16th precinct. Now she felt like home.


	2. Chapter 2

Amilia just stood there. Looking at the building. Why did she feel the need to walk in there? It wasn't until she felt the heat from the air duct that she realized she was inside. The man at the front desk asked, "Do you need help?" Amelia shook her head. "No, I-I'm okay..." She looked around. "Actually, can you tell me where I am?" she asked. The man looked at her, "You're at the 1-6. Take that elevator to the 13th floor, ask for Benson or Stabler. They should be able to help you." he assumed she was a victim. Only victims came in looking lost. She just nodded. She needed to find out why this felt more like home, then her actual home, the home she had in Washington. She did as she was told. She found the elevator, took it to the 13th floor. When she walked in she saw people hurrying around. Much like outside on the streets. New Yorkers, all in a hurry. "Hello, I'm Detective Munch, can I help you?" ' _ **Detective? Did he just say detective? I'm in a police station?!**_ "Um, hello, can I help you?" he repeated. "Ah, no. I walked into the building and the guy at the front desk told me to come up here and ask for Benson or Stabler?"

Upon hearing their names, the dinamic duo walked over to Munch and the young woman. "That's us." Elliot said. Amelia turned her head to look at the pair. "Do you need your statment taken, or are you reporting a rape?" Olivia asked. She didn't want to think of the person the girl reminded her of. She didn't need to think about that right now, but since it has come up in her mind, it wont be going away any time soon. "Ah, like i just told this guy, no. I walked into the building, I don't know why, and the damn guy at the front desk told me to come up here and ask for Benson or Stabler, which I'm guessing is you two?" She was obviously getting annoyed. Wait, if she's at a police station she could ask someone about having custody given to her dad, or being emancipated. "Actually can I ask one of you a question, in private?" Amelia asked the partners. "I may have 4 daughters, but this is all you." Elliot told Liv. "Okay. Um, come with me." She lead Amelia to one of the friendly rooms they took some of the kids to when the interrogation rooms are to jail like. She sensed that the kid would feel more comfortable in that room instead.

There was an awkward silence between them, and they didn't know why. "Okay, so, what was your question..." The older woman had yet to llearn the girls name. "Amelia, my name's Amelia." She told the detective timidly. "Okay Amelia, you can call me Detective Benson, or Olivia. So what was your question?" "Um, is there anyway I can be taken out of my moms care to live with my father?" Amelia wasn't used to asking questions like this, she really didn't know how to word it. "Are you asking if custody can be turned over from one parent to another?" The girl nodded. "Yes it's possible, but can only be done if there is probable reason, and if your father's home is suitable for you to live at. It's a long prosses, and judges and ACS get involved. Why, is your mother hurting you? Neglecting you? Is she doing things that could possibly hurt you?" Olivia had to ask, and she was being honest. It is a long and stressful prosses, for everyone involved. "She doesn't hit me, but she's a recovering alcholic and we just moved here to New York. Things were to stressful for her in Washington. My dad's was the only safe place I had when I felt like she was going to drink again. She does get violent when she drinks. I have a feeling that things are getting to stressful for her to handle, and that she's going to start drinking again." Amelia didn't like to share that with people, especially people she just met. This woman is a cop. If Amelia wanted to get out of her mothers, she'd need to be able to tell the truth without feeling embarassed.

Olivia was, shocked to say the least. But she also felt, she didn't know, angry? How could someone do that to this young girl. Then she thought _**'My mom did.'**_ She sat there for a moment before saying anything. "Okay, I'm going to give you my buisness card, it has my work, home, and cell phone numbers on it. You call me if you have any trouble, or if you need a friend to talk to. You just call me, anytime. I will look into the custody situation, okay?" Olivia asked. She felt like this girl was her at that age. Independant, storng, grown up. "Okay." She took the card that oliva was holding out for her to take. "You said you just moved here to New York, how did you find your way here?" Amelia really didn't even know the way here from her new 'home'. "I just kind of walked around, then I saw this place, I didn't even know I walked in until the guy in the lobby told me to come up here and tal to you or that Stabler guy." She looked around the room. This room was so colorful, so different from the white room at the brownstone. She liked it. "Well do you know your way back home?" Amelia cringed at the word 'home'. "Uh, no. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going." She didn't know why she was explaining herself, but she did. "Amelia, that's not safe." Olivia said with her voice full of worry. "I know." Said the younger girl. "Would you like a ride home?" Liv offered, even though she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Amelia tried to refuse but Olivia insisted that it was too late for her to be walking. Amelia just gave up, and gave the Detective her adress. She had Elliot cover for her. They got in the car, and were on thier way. "So, how old are you Amelia?" Olivia was currious, she felt like she knew this girl. "Uh... I just turned 16 like 3 months ago." she replied. Amelia was just looking out of the window. Her life was taking so many twists and turns. She watched the road, because that to was taking twists and turns.

Liv stopped at the red light, trying to make the ride less awkward, she continued to talk. "So, what do you like to do for fun." Amelia didn't want to talk, but she didn't want to be rude either. "Uh, I'm into art, and reading. I don't get out much, so basicaly anything that I can do while in my room." The light turned green and not after long, they pulled up to the brownstone . Olivia got out. "Wow, what are you doing?" Amelia asked. "I'm going to tell your mom that I drove you home. If you were my kid, I'd like to know if a complete stranger drove you home." Leaving no room for arguements, she walked up to the door and knocked. She was not expecting what came next. "Dianna?" She breathed. "Olivia." Dianna whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

"You know eachother? How?" Amelia asked. She was so confused. The cop she just told her mom was a recovering alcoholic, and she wanted to move away from, knew her. "Uh, it's a long story 'Lia. You really shouldn't know." This just made the teen angry. She was tried of the secrets, and the lies coming out of her mother's mouth. "Really? It's a long story, I have time. I shouldn't know, but I want to. And stop calling me 'Lia, you know I hate it" Olivia couldn't help but chuchle, just as she imagined, stubborn and has anger issues. "Amelia can we talk about this later? Alone." Dianna tried. "If I wanna know how you know her, don't you think she should be there. I chould just ask her how you two met. Olivia..." She turned to the detective, "How do you know my mom?" Olivia cringed inwordly at the word 'mom'. She really wanted Amelia to know, but she gave up the right to tell her long ago.

 _"How far along are you?" The wife of a, what looked like a happy marrige,_ _asked. "6 months in 4 days." The pregnant woman said, holding her round belly. "Okay, so we covered everything except for why you are putting the baby up for adoption." The husband said. "I'm only giving herup because I don't know if I will be a good mother or not. I don't want to take the chance of me becoming my mom. I want her to have a loving and safe home. It seems like you can give her that."_

"Uhh..." The brunette looked at the woman still staning in the door way of the bronestone, then back to the teen that was staring at her, awaiting an answer. "Look your mom should be the one to tell you." She looked back at the woman about a year older then her, "But when, and if, you do, I would love it if I were there."

Dianna knew her teenage daughter wouldn't drop it. She nodded for Olivia to come in, and shut the door behind her. She motioned to the coutch that, besides a living room table, sat in the empty room. "Okay, so you want to know how Olivia and I know each other, first I want to know how you guys know eachother." Amelia didn't see the point in lying, and the detective would probably call her out on it. "After I left here, I was walking around, I wandered into a building and I ran into her, I figured that while I was in a police station, I'd ask about emancipation, or getting the custody ruling over turned. I told you I didn't want to move, I want to go live with dad." Dianna just stared at her. When she spoke it was harsh toned. "You are **my** daughter, you will live with me." Amelia looked at the older woman with fire in her eyes. "What if you start driking again, we both know that you get violent when you drink. And before you deny it,one time I was 12 and you stayed out all night, I called dad to come stay with me. When you came home it was like 3am. You saw that dad was there, and you started yelling, and that resulted in you throwing a vase at his head. You didn't even notic me standing near him. Where did that get any of us? In the hospital because, you missed dads head, it hit the wall and I got hit with a piece of glass!" Amelia's voice rose about an octive and a half by the time she was done talking. Olivia, upon hearing this story, got very angry. "You told me she never hurt you!" She was beyond upset that this woman who was suppose to care for her, hurt her. "She didn't, well not directly." The younger one looked down. "Tell her." Olivia said to Dianna who, until then had been in shock of the words that have come out of the girl befor her's mouth. "Amelia, there's something you should know," She looked at both people sitting in front of her, then looked away. "Remember a few years ago, your father and I told you that you were adopted" Amelia shook her head. "Well..." Dianna trailed off hoping her daughter would get the point. She did. Amelia turned to Olivia. "You're my mother?"

The usually strong, confident detective looked away, and nodded in the postive. The girl had so many questions, but the most important was "Why didn't you want me?" Her tears were coming down like a river, and didn't seem like they would stop anytime soon. "Oh sweety I did, I wanted you so much. I just was scared of being a bad mom, I didn't know if I'd be able to do the whole mom thing. I regreted it the second I went home, without you in my arms. I'm so sorry." The teen couldn't breath. She turned to the woman who raised her. "Why didn't you tell me she was in New York? Is she why we moved out here?" "Amelia, honey, I'm so sorry. I know I should have told you who she was, but I didn't want something like this to happen. I swear I didn't know she lived her, and she is certianly not the reason I brought you out here. I brought you out here for a fresh start." Dianna went to go put a hand on the young girl's back but she shot up. "Then why did we need to move?!" She yelled. "You always keep secrets from me. I'm tired of it. I want the truth. You say I'm your daughhter, then treat me like it." Dianna just sighed, "It's complicated." Amelia gave up and looked at Liv, "You're my mom." She said more to herself for reassurance then anything. "Yeah." By now both Olivia and Amelia had tears in there eyes. Shocking both oler women, Amelia realized that _she_ was the reason why she walked into the precinct, and _she_ was the reason this strange place felt like home. _She_ was... she _is_ her mom. Amelia walked over to Liv and hugged her.


End file.
